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12 « JANUARY 8, 2016 JANUARY 8, 2016 » 13 CATHOLIC VOICE CATHOLIC VOICE By MIKE MAY Catholic Voice A priest of the archdiocese becoming bishop of the Diocese of Grand Island heads the list of the top 10 stories of 2015 in the Archdiocese of Omaha. Msgr. Joseph G. Hanefeldt replaced retiring Bishop William J. Dendinger, also a rural archdiocese native, and now serves with Archbishop George J. Lucas and Bishop James D. Conley of Lincoln in leading Nebraska Catholics. That development leads the list of events last year, as determined by Catho- lic Voice staff, based on significance and number of stories written about the topics. Other top stories include Pope Francis’ visit to the United States, the Ex- traordinary Jubilee of Mercy, the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision regarding same-sex marriage, the effort to repeal the death penalty in Nebraska, con- struction of a Newman Center near the University of Nebraska at Omaha cam- pus, the canonization effort for Father Edward J. Flanagan, and the on-duty death and funeral of Omaha police officer Kerrie Orozco. 1. BISHOP HANEFELDT Before a congregation of 700, including well-wishers from the Omaha archdiocese and more than two dozen bishops, archbishops and abbots, Msgr. Hanefeldt was ordained and installed March 19 as the eighth bishop of the Diocese of Grand Island. The diocese spans 42,000 square miles and serves 54,000 Catholics through 76 parishes and missions, 71 active and retired priests, 10 elementary and high schools, two Catholic hospitals and two Newman Centers. Raised near Creighton, Bishop Hanefeldt served as pastor of Christ the King Parish in Omaha for two years, and was spiritual director and director of spiritual formation at the Pontifical North American College in Rome for five years. He also was the long-time pastor of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Par- ish in Omaha, served as pastor of St. Joseph Parish in Omaha and associate pastor of St. Mary Parish in West Point and St. Joan of Arc Parish in Omaha. 2. POPE FRANCIS Pope Francis made a historic visit to the United States Sept. 22-27, including a Rose Garden ceremony at the White House, an address to both houses of Congress, and a Mass at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, where he canonized Spanish mis- sionary Junipero Serra. He also visited New York’s 9/11 memorial, and participated in the World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia, where 1 million people gathered in Ben- jamin Franklin Parkway for the closing Mass. Archbishop Lucas, Archbishop Emeritus Elden Francis Curtiss, archdioce- san staff members and other parishioners and college students from the Omaha archdiocese attended the events. During his visit, the pope reiterated the need to support and care for fami- lies, immigrants, the environment and religious freedom. Bishop Hanefeldt ordination tops 2015 news CATHOLIC VOICE Archbishop George J. Lucas, lays hands on Bishop-designate Joseph G. Hanefeldt during the Rite of Ordination. CATHOLIC VOICE Brother William Woeger, left, holds sealing wax, Archbishop George J. Lucas witnesses and Omar Gutierrez, notary for the archdiocesan tribunal for the sainthood cause of Father Edward Flanagan, ties a ribbon June 18 on one of four boxes of documents detailing the archdiocese’s investigation into Father Flanagan’s life of service during a special ceremony at St. Cecilia Cathedral in Omaha. CATHOLIC VOICE A photo of Kerrie Orozco in uniform is displayed prominently on the video board at the CenturyLink Center Omaha May 26 as people watch a video feed of her funeral Mass from St. John Church on the Creighton University campus. Father William Bond, pastor of St. Joseph Parish in Omaha, celebrated the Mass. CATHOLIC VOICE Sisters of Mercy Corrine Connelly, left, and Johanna Burnell look for familiar faces in a 1991 photo that’s part of an exhibit at the Durham Museum in Omaha recognizing 150 years of the Sisters of Mercy in Omaha. CATHOLIC VOICE Construction work on early stages of the St. John Paul II Newman Center in Omaha. LUISA CLAUS Pope Francis greets the crowd Sept. 23 before the canonization Mass of Junipero Serra at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington. CATHOLIC VOICE Archbishop George J. Lucas speaks at a news conference May 13 calling for an end to the death penalty in Nebraska. COURTESY PHOTO YDisciple small group of freshmen through juniors at a member’s home in West Point Feb. 10. Start-up costs for the program were funded by the Ignite the Faith capital campaign. 3. SAME-SEX MARRIAGE The U.S. Supreme Court voted to lift state bans on same-sex mar- riage, including Nebraska’s 2000 constitutional amendment banning the practice, in a 5-4 decision June 26. A lower court challenge to Nebraska’s ban was made moot by the high court’s decision. Archbishop Lucas, along with Nebraska Bishops Conley and Hanefeldt, is- sued a joint statement in response, reaffirming marriage as “the sacred union of one man and one woman,” saying “[m]arriage, as ordained by God, is the cornerstone of every human family, an ancient tradition in every culture. No one can change that reality.” Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz of Louisville, Ky., president of the U.S. Con- ference of Catholic Bishops, called the decision “a tragic error,” saying that “[r]egardless of what a narrow majority of the Supreme Court may declare at this moment in history, the nature of the human person and marriage remains unchanged and unchangeable.” 4. JUBILEE OF MERCY Pope Francis declared an Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy – a time of healing and forgiveness – beginning Dec. 8, 2015, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, and running through Nov. 20, 2016, the Feast of Christ the King. The pope designated a ceremonial door in St. Peter’s Basilica as a Holy Door, to be opened Dec. 8 to initiate the year of mercy. He also asked all di- oceses worldwide to designate a door of mercy at their cathedral, or special church or shrine. In Omaha, Archbishop Lucas joined bishops around the world ushering in the Jubilee of Mercy Dec. 13 by opening the door of mercy at St. Cecilia Ca- thedral and leading more than 700 faithful in Solemn Vespers. 5. SAINTHOOD CAUSE The Archdiocese of Omaha advanced to the Vatican the sainthood cause of Servant of God Father Edward J. Flanagan, founder of Boys Town, with a Mass at St. Cecilia Cathedral June 18. The celebration closed the archdiocesan phase of the canonization process, including a ceremony officially sealing four boxes holding 4,600 pages of docu- ments concerning the local investigation to be sent to Rome. Generally, the church requires verification of one miracle attributed to a proposed saint’s intercession for beatification, and a second miracle for canon- ization. 6. DEATH PENALTY Archbishop Lucas and the other Nebraska bishops hailed the Leg- islature’s May 20 repeal of the state’s death penalty and subsequent override of Gov. Pete Ricketts’ veto. But the repeal ultimately will be decided by state voters in November. That’s because death penalty proponents initiated a successful statewide refer- endum, effectively suspending the repeal until the election. Archbishop Lucas and Catholic leaders around the country have consistently opposed capital punishment, promoting church teaching that today’s penal sys- tem makes the need for capital punishment rare if not practically nonexistent. The U.S. Supreme Court reinstated the death penalty nationwide in 1976. Since then, 19 states have banned the practice. 7. NEWMAN CENTER Projected to open this fall, construction began June 30 on the four- story, $20 million St. John Paul II Newman Center near the University of Nebraska at Omaha campus. Intended as a resource for students to deepen and share their faith, the cen- ter also will support discernment of vocations – priesthood, religious life or Christian marriage. The center will include student apartments, common areas, office and meeting space for campus ministry organizations, a chapel, prayer garden and rectory for the center’s chaplain and archdiocesan director of vocations. Father Joseph Taphorn, moderator of the curia and vicar for clergy, is di- rector of the Newman Center and chaplain of campus ministry. 8. IGNITE THE FAITH The archdiocese’s Ignite the Faith capital campaign continued to have a significant impact on Catholic schools, religious education programs, priest retirement and seminary funds, and other capital and pro- gram needs of schools and parishes. The campaign has received $53 million in pledges, and by the end of last year $30 million was collected and $20 million distributed. The effort began three years ago, with a feasibility study placing the goal at $40 million and parish-based fundraising taking the campaign through 2014, with most pledges paid over three years. By 2017, most of the funds will have been collected and distributed. 9. OFFICER’S FUNERAL With an outpouring of support from people in the community and law enforcement officials around the country, Omaha police officer Kerrie Orozco, fatally injured May 20 in a police shootout, was laid to rest May 26. Her funeral Mass at St. John Church on the Creighton University campus, which included a video feed to the CenturyLink Center and a seven-mile pro- cession from the church to St. Joseph Catholic Cemetery in Council Bluffs, Iowa, drew thousands of people. Orozco, a wife and mother and a parishioner at St. Joseph Church in Oma- ha, was known for her community service with Special Olympics, Girl Scouts, mentoring and coaching youth sports. 10. SISTERS OF MERCY With the theme, “Make Mercy Real,” to encourage acts of mer- cy, the Sisters of Mercy in October closed a year-long celebration of their 150 years of service to the Omaha archdiocese. Celebration of the sesquicentennial year began with an Oct. 26, 2014, Mass celebrated by Archbishop Lucas at St. Cecilia Cathedral in Omaha, and in- cluded an exhibit at the Durham Museum in Omaha titled, “Sisters of Mercy: 150 Years of Serving Omaha, 1864-2014.” The exhibit, which ran Jan. 10 through April 12, featured photos and de- scriptions of the sisters and their service in the areas of education, healthcare, nursing homes, low-cost housing, social justice and spiritual counseling. Sev- eral habits worn by the order over the years also were on display. To create awareness of their campaign for mercy, the sisters developed rub- ber bracelets featuring the theme, #MakeMercyReal and a website, sistersof- mercy.org/west-midwest/makemercyreal. The sisters also used Facebook, Ins- tagram, Pinterest and Twitter to create awareness among young people. Jubilee of Mercy, Father Flanagan sainthood cause also highlights
